Shared Cash With Ex-Petroleum Minister Diezani — As Cook, Driver Testify On Their Secret Lives!
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Shared Cash With Ex-Petroleum Minister Diezani — As Cook, Driver Testify On Their Secret Lives!
Reported by Mustapha Labake Omowumi | Sele Media Africa Journalist
New testimony emerging from court proceedings in the United Kingdom has lifted the veil on how billionaire oilmen Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore allegedly lavished cash, luxury, and favours on former Nigerian Petroleum Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke testimony that includes details from a cook and a driver describing the secret lives surrounding some of the globe’s most scrutinised Nigerian oil deals.
Prosecution Details at UK Bribery Trial
At the ongoing bribery trial at Southwark Crown Court, London, prosecutors painted a picture of lavish luxury enjoyed by Alison-Madueke alleging that private jets, high-end properties, chauffeur-driven cars, and shopping sprees were part of the benefits she received from industry figures interested in lucrative oil and gas contracts.
According to British prosecutors’ opening statements, Nigerian oil executive Kolawole “Kola” Aluko reportedly spent millions on luxury goods including over £2 million at Harrods and provided a mansion near London for Alison-Madueke’s use, with bills and renovations paid on her behalf.
Secret Lives: Testimony from Close Staff
Insider accounts from individuals close to the minister including a cook and a driver described a lifestyle marked by high-end travel, expensive gifts, and constant movement between properties. Reports indicate that staff testified about the minister’s frequent use of:
Chauffeur-driven luxury cars provided by associates;
Travel on private jets linked to Aluko/Omokore networks;
High-end London properties staffed with cooks, drivers, and support staff.
These testimonies, often given under oath, have helped prosecutors build a narrative of quid-pro-quo exchanges between Nigeria’s former oil boss and wealthy businessmen.
U.S. Civil Forfeiture Adds to the Picture
The U.S. Department of Justice, in related litigation, confirmed that Aluko and Omokore conspired with others to pay bribes to Alison-Madueke from 2011 to 2015 in return for oil contracts. As part of civil forfeiture proceedings, approximately $53.1 million in cash and other proceeds tied to those contracts were recovered and forfeited.
Funds flowed through shell companies controlled by the businessmen and were used to purchase luxury real estate in the U.S. and a 65-metre superyacht the Galactica Star.
Legal Pushback and Denials
Both Kola Aluko and Jide Omokore, through their lawyers, have denied illegal conduct in various legal battles. For instance, Omokore was acquitted in 2023 by a Nigerian court of $1.6 billion fraud charges after the prosecution failed to prove its case.
Meanwhile, Alison-Madueke has denied personal ownership of repatriated assets including a reported $52.8 million returned to Nigeria asserting they belonged to Aluko and not to her.
What This Means
These legal battles span continents with UK prosecutors presenting testimonies from close aides about hidden expenditures and secret lives, and U.S. agencies securing forfeiture of assets tied to alleged corruption. While courtrooms continue to sort fact from allegation, court filings and insider testimony offer a rare glimpse into the personal dimensions of high-level corruption cases that have reverberated across Africa and beyond.
Citations:
1.https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerias-ex-oil-minister-alison-madueke-stands-trial-uk-bribery-charges-2026-01-27/
2.https://saharareporters.com/news
3.https://www.thecable.ng/us-recovers-53m-proceeds-of-illicitly-awarded-contracts-involving-diezani-aluko-omokore/
4.https://www.thecable.ng/breaking-court-acquits-jide-omokore-of-1-6bn-fraud/
5.https://independent.ng/repatriated-52-8m-not-mine-ex-petroleum-minister-diezani-cries-out/
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